2012 Nobel Peace Prize for EU

Europe accepts prestige honour

Pictured arriving at Oslo’s City Hall ahead of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony are (clockwise from top left), French president Francois Hollande, German chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian prime minister Mario Monti and Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who is being greeted by Oslo mayor Fabian Stang. Photographs: Stian Lysberg/Reuters

Europe accepts prestige honour

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The building of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, decorated with the slogan "Your peace, Your prize, Nobel 2012", written in the languages of EU member states. Photograph: Vincent Kessler/Reuters

Europe accepts prestige honour

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A security officer performs a security check with a sniffer dog prior to the Nobel Prize ceremony at the Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Europe accepts prestige honour

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From left to right are the secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Geir Lundestad; European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, European Council president Herman van Rompuy, European Parliament president Martin Schulz and chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Torbjorn Jagland, at a news conference at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo the night before the awards ceremony. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters

Europe accepts prestige honour

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Mo Yan of China, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize for Literature, answers questions during a public reading of his work at Aula Magna, Stockholm University, Sweden, the night before the award ceremony. Photograph: Fredrik Sandberg/Scanpix/Reuters

Europe accepts prestige honour

Enda Kenny (extreme left) stands among a group of European leaders and dignitaries in City Hall, Oslo, during the prize-giving ceremony. While in Oslo, Mr Kenny is attending a meeting hosted by Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg for visiting heads of state and governments, and also bilateral talks with Mr Stoltenberg and Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt. Photograph: Heiko Jung/Reuters

Europe accepts prestige honour

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An overall view of the gathering at Oslo’s City Hall. Photograph: Heiko Jung/Reuters